Tantalum – The Washington Post reported that armed groups and high-ranking officials in Congolese and Burundian armies are continuing to benefit from illegal mineral trade in Eastern Congo.
Cobalt – The DRC has imposed a ban on exports of copper and cobalt concentrates to encourage more value-added production.
Cobalt – Reuters reported that an anti-corruption campaign is accusing tax authorities in the DRC of failing to account for $88 million in taxes from the mining sector.
Diamond – Bloomberg reported that the Democratic Republic of Congo and China’s Anhui Foreign Economic Construction Group created a joint venture to mine diamonds in the province of Eastern Kasai and have decided to take the company public.
Cobalt – Bloomberg reported that the DRC's Minister of Mines has stepped in to re-assure miners of a safe operating environment in the wake of an attack by separatists in Lubumbashi, where many of the offices of the biggest companies operating in the Congo are located.
Tin – Reuters reported that an attack by about 300 rebels on Congo’s Lubumbashi has hurt the image of the country’s mining hub, which produces huge amounts of tin, according to Katanga’s governor, Moise Katumbi.
Tin – Mining Weekly reported that the first conflict-free tin metal will be produced by the end of March from the Kalimbi mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Cobalt – Bloomberg reported that the African Development Bank has withdrawn its offer for budget support to the DRC after the IMF has cut the country's funding due to shady, questionable mining practices.
Tin – Bloomberg reported that members of the U.S. Congress are asking the Obama administration to take a tougher stance against Rwanda in light of its support for the rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Cobalt – The Financial Mail reported that wide-spread corruption of government officials in the DRC threatens the viability numerous artisanal miners, who are trying to take advantage of the country's vast resource base.
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